JUNIOR footballers in Earby should be able to play home matches in their own town next season, instead of having to travel to neighbouring Barnoldswick.

It follows the redevelopment of the pitch on the Recreation Ground, off Skipton Road, extending it and levelling the surface.

Money for the project came from a £12,000 sum set aside by the former Earby Town Centre Forum and earmarked for sports facilities in the town.

Earby Parish Council has campaigned for years for better sports facilities, and has welcomed the scheme, despite some concerns about the pitch itself, especially on drainage.

At their latest meeting, Pendle Council's parks manager Colin Patten confirmed the new pitch should be ready to play on by next season.

He said they had managed to achieve a full-size playing surface, over and above the junior pitch that was originally envisaged.

That had been done by cutting away a large part of the banking at the top end of the field, and levelling the pitch generally.

It was now included in the council's regular maintenance programmes for sports pitches. That meant spiking and harrowing 26 times a year, spike harrowing once a year, the application of sand at one ton per week for 26 weeks throughout the football season, line marking once a week, regular application of fertilisers and an end-of-season renovation.

There would also be a regular survey by an independent body to assess the standard of the pitch.

Mr Patten conceded that further drainage work might be needed, but said it was better to let the maintenance programme become established first.

Coun Jack Cross asked if, initially at least, the pitch would be reserved for use by junior teams, to see how it would stand up, before letting adult players loose on it.

Mr Patten said it was always the intention that junior sides should use it, and he had worked closely with Earby Town Boys FC.

Finally, he added that council officers and Pendle's West Craven committee were still looking at ways to provide some basic changing facilities at the new pitch.

Parish council chairman Coun Vic Marsh said he hoped they would succeed: "It would be a shame to spend so much money and so much effort on it if it then couldn't be used because there was no dressing room.

Members also asked Mr Patten whether picnic tables would be returned to Sough Park and if another litter bin could be provided there, as the current one was always overflowing. He replied that the picnic tables would be returned, adding that they were being replaced throughout the borough by steel ones fixed to a concrete plinth, which stood up better to vandalism. He will also look into providing a new bin.

Coun Morris Horsfield reported that one of the plaques had fallen off the war memorial at Sough Park and he had taken it to the council office in Earby for safekeeping. Some of the other plaques were also loose. Mr Patten said he would arrange for the necessary repairs to be carried out.